Ferrer: Rafa doesn't have pain in the knees.

January 1st, 2013
David Ferrer: Rafa Doesn’t Have Pain In His Knees Anymore
by Tom Gainey

Speaking in Doha yesterday, top seed David Ferrer commented on the status of good friend and countryman Rafael Nadal confirming that his knees were in good health but it was in fact a stomach virus that has curtailed his return.“I spoke with him few days ago,” Ferrer said. “He was sick with virus, and he prefer to stop. And he will come back in South America. But the good news is because him, he doesn’t have pain in the knees. So that’s the most important.“Rafa is a very good friend for me and very important for the tennis tour. Of course all the tennis players, we miss him because he’s very important.”The 30-year-old also said that despite his recent setbacks, Ferrer thinks Nadal can return to No. 1.“He can do it because he’s a very good player. He’s a special player,” Ferrer said. “Rafael, he’s very competitive, he’s a winner, and he’s young also. I have confidence with him that when he’s coming back he will play good. Maybe not in the first tournaments because they had a lot of times tough, but he’s coming. I am sure he coming back No. 2 or No. 1 in the world.”After one his best seasons, Ferrer is still seeking a first Grand Slam, but he acknowledges it will be very tough.“I know it’s very difficult in these moments, because they are top 4, they are very good players and Nadal is coming back soon,” he said. “So every year is more difficult because I am older.“Maybe my goal is to be top 10. That’s my goal.”

Ferrer is a loyal lapdog. Of course he'll say worshipful things about Nadal. Of course he knows that he's about to get Rafa's #4 ranking spot in a few weeks.

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Don't mistake humility for weakness. Ferrer is a guy who is very proud and has everything to play for, not subserviant in the disgraceful way you put it. It's true that he will overtake Nadal in the next few weeks, and he'll do so with class. Ferrer will do everything humanly possible to climb the ladder. In no way, shape, or form is this guy dependant on a pat on the head by any other player to show him the way. He'll show the grit that has defined his career by kicking, scratching, or biting Nadal or anyone else who gets on the other side of the net from him. Truth!

Don't mistake humility for weakness. Ferrer is a guy who is very proud and has everything to play for, not subserviant in the disgraceful way you put it. It's true that he will overtake Nadal in the next few weeks, and he'll do so with class. Ferrer will do everything humanly possible to climb the ladder. In no way, shape, or form is this guy dependant on a pat on the head by any other player to show him the way. He'll show the grit that has defined his career by kicking, scratching, or biting Nadal or anyone else who gets on the other side of the net from him. Truth!

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I remember how Ferrer literally injured Nadal during their 2011 AO QF match in an 18-minute game.

January 1st, 2013
David Ferrer: Rafa Doesn’t Have Pain In His Knees Anymore
by Tom Gainey

Speaking in Doha yesterday, top seed David Ferrer commented on the status of good friend and countryman Rafael Nadal confirming that his knees were in good health but it was in fact a stomach virus that has curtailed his return.“I spoke with him few days ago,” Ferrer said. “He was sick with virus, and he prefer to stop. And he will come back in South America. But the good news is because him, he doesn’t have pain in the knees. So that’s the most important.“Rafa is a very good friend for me and very important for the tennis tour. Of course all the tennis players, we miss him because he’s very important.”The 30-year-old also said that despite his recent setbacks, Ferrer thinks Nadal can return to No. 1.“He can do it because he’s a very good player. He’s a special player,” Ferrer said. “Rafael, he’s very competitive, he’s a winner, and he’s young also. I have confidence with him that when he’s coming back he will play good. Maybe not in the first tournaments because they had a lot of times tough, but he’s coming. I am sure he coming back No. 2 or No. 1 in the world.”After one his best seasons, Ferrer is still seeking a first Grand Slam, but he acknowledges it will be very tough.“I know it’s very difficult in these moments, because they are top 4, they are very good players and Nadal is coming back soon,” he said. “So every year is more difficult because I am older.“Maybe my goal is to be top 10. That’s my goal.”

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Since (Team) Hafa told him that, I hope, that Daveed understands, that he will look like a clown, the moment Team Nadal finds it fitting to say exactly the opposite.

Yes I did enjoy that game, it was the best game of the match. And at the time it wasn't apparent that it would cost Nadal the match. Still, I'd much rather Nadal lose THE RAFA SLAM that way than the way Djokovic lost THE DJOKOVIC SLAM.

Yes I did enjoy that game, it was the best game of the match. And at the time it wasn't apparent that it would cost Nadal the match. Still, I'd much rather Nadal lose THE RAFA SLAM that way than the way Djokovic lost THE DJOKOVIC SLAM.

The most valuable game in tennis history. If not for that 18-minute game, Nadal would have won THE RAFA SLAM. 2014 AO will be his next shot at THE RAFA SLAM.

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LOL your assumptions are laughably stupid.

Of course if it had not been for that one game Rafa would have won, it was a foregone conclusion!!! No one else could have done anything in the world. All you Nadal haters thank your lucky stars he got injured in that game and was denied his rightful crown at the AO and THE RAFA SLAM!!!

Yes I did enjoy that game, it was the best game of the match. And at the time it wasn't apparent that it would cost Nadal the match. Still, I'd much rather Nadal lose THE RAFA SLAM that way than the way Djokovic lost THE DJOKOVIC SLAM.

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That's dumb. Djokovic was closer to 4 in a row than Nadal was, why would u wanna lose sooner? fail.

I am sure Ferrer is a friend of Nadal but I remember Serena Williams coach saying that his mentality is all wrong concerning the top 4 and I agree. Ferrer tries to bend over backwards for the top guys he has no confidence in his ability to beat them. Yes, Ferrer is at a disadvantage due to his height but Davydenko is only an inch taller than Ferrer but he has a winning record against Nadal and he's knocked off Murray and Djokovic multiple times as well. Ferrer is too nice I feel and I think his lack of confidence is what has really hurt him in his career. I think mentality is very important in sports, if you don't believe you can beat the best then you won't beat them.

Don't mistake humility for weakness. Ferrer is a guy who is very proud and has everything to play for, not subserviant in the disgraceful way you put it. It's true that he will overtake Nadal in the next few weeks, and he'll do so with class. Ferrer will do everything humanly possible to climb the ladder. In no way, shape, or form is this guy dependant on a pat on the head by any other player to show him the way. He'll show the grit that has defined his career by kicking, scratching, or biting Nadal or anyone else who gets on the other side of the net from him. Truth!

I am sure Ferrer is a friend of Nadal but I remember Serena Williams coach saying that his mentality is all wrong concerning the top 4 and I agree. Ferrer tries to bend over backwards for the top guys he has no confidence in his ability to beat them. Yes, Ferrer is at a disadvantage due to his height but Davydenko is only an inch taller than Ferrer but he has a winning record against Nadal and he's knocked off Murray and Djokovic multiple times as well. Ferrer is too nice I feel and I think his lack of confidence is what has really hurt him in his career. I think mentality is very important in sports, if you don't believe you can beat the best then you won't beat them.

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The only guy Ferrer bends over for is Federer. The rest of the top 4 he gives a hard effort for.

Matches with Federer, at least in the past 6 or 7 or so, go like this...

Federer wins his serve handily, Ferrer has to fight like hell to win his serve. It's 3-3 or 4-4, and Ferrer will blow a 40-15 service lead and give up the game. It's over from there. He fights like crazy against Fed like he does everyone else, but no success. Happens like that sometimes.

Against the rest of the 3? He's kicked the hell out of all three of them in a match at least once(Nadal at AO 11, Djokovic at WTF 11, and Murray at RG 12).

I am sure Ferrer is a friend of Nadal but I remember Serena Williams coach saying that his mentality is all wrong concerning the top 4 and I agree. Ferrer tries to bend over backwards for the top guys he has no confidence in his ability to beat them. Yes, Ferrer is at a disadvantage due to his height but Davydenko is only an inch taller than Ferrer but he has a winning record against Nadal and he's knocked off Murray and Djokovic multiple times as well. Ferrer is too nice I feel and I think his lack of confidence is what has really hurt him in his career. I think mentality is very important in sports, if you don't believe you can beat the best then you won't beat them.

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That's a hilarious example given that Davydenko has only beaten Djoko twice whereas Ferrer has beaten him 5 times. He's also beaten Murray 5 times while Davy has only beaten him 4 times. It looks like your elaborate reasoning is all wrong. Ferrer has also beaten Nadal in 2 slams. (And he leads Delpo 6-2). Ferrer is perfectly competitive vs all top players except Fed (rather more competitive than Davy actually and not less, that's for sure and Davy has exactly the same problem as Ferrer: being over-intimidated by Fed)

I am sure Ferrer is a friend of Nadal but I remember Serena Williams coach saying that his mentality is all wrong concerning the top 4 and I agree. Ferrer tries to bend over backwards for the top guys he has no confidence in his ability to beat them. Yes, Ferrer is at a disadvantage due to his height but Davydenko is only an inch taller than Ferrer but he has a winning record against Nadal and he's knocked off Murray and Djokovic multiple times as well. Ferrer is too nice I feel and I think his lack of confidence is what has really hurt him in his career. I think mentality is very important in sports, if you don't believe you can beat the best then you won't beat them.

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In a way you're probably right, but on the other hand there's a clear difference between his game and that of the top 4 and he simply knows and admits that. Seems like a healthy attitude, especially at this point... he's not going to get better now.

The only guy Ferrer bends over for is Federer. The rest of the top 4 he gives a hard effort for.

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He gives a hard effort against Federer too, Roger is just a nightmare matchup for him and Ferrer has nothing to hurt him with at all. Federer can hit winners on Ferrer's normal rally balls; the rest of the top 4 don't have this ability and so he can give them much tougher matches by trying to out grind them with his super fitness. It's a similar problem that Davydenko and Hewitt have against Federer.

He gives a hard effort against Federer too, Roger is just a nightmare matchup for him and Ferrer has nothing to hurt him with at all. Federer can hit winners on Ferrer's normal rally balls; the rest of the top 4 don't have this ability and so he can give them much tougher matches by trying to out grind them with his super fitness. It's a similar problem that Davydenko and Hewitt have against Federer.

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This is mostly true and it is also true of when he plays Nadal on clay. Ferrer has absolutely nothing to hurt Nadal with on clay, his shots dont have enough power to penetrate through the clay, nor does he hit with enough spin or a heavy enough ball to make Nadal uncomfortable or push him back off the clay at all. He obviously cant outgrind, outmaneuver, outdefend, or outlast Nadal on clay either. Ferrer although a very good clay courter, with his game and playing style, is effectively useless vs Nadal on clay, yet people seem to take his constant defeats to Nadal on clay as lying down. On hard courts where he actually does have some game to play with Nadal, he has had some success, proof that theory is bollocks.

I do think Ferrer, while not having a good game for Federer at all, also has a mental block with him though. I saw a match in Cincinnati, I think in 2007, where Federer was just terrible. He all but tried to throw the match, and Ferrer still wouldnt take it. He definitely should have and easily could have won that one. Also a match like the WTF final in 2007 where he played abysmal tennis after playing some of his best ever tennis the rest of the event.